Only 2 days left in this great offer!

If you have big dreams for your blog but have been putting improving it in the ‘one day’ basket – you’re not alone.

31 Days to Build a Better Blog is a downloadable e-book from Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net designed to help you revitalize your blog by giving you 31 tasks that will all help to turn it into the page view powerhouse you’ve always dreamed of.

Each day in the project contains:

1. A Task – something to DO that day.
2. Teaching – each day you’ll be given great instruction on both the WHY and HOW of the task of the day.

This two pronged approach is designed so that you come away from the challenge having not only learned how to build a dynamic a blog but you’ll have actually DONE something with the knowledge.

How to Use the Workbook

While originally designed for bloggers to work through over a month – the feedback that we’ve been hearing from bloggers indicates that 31DBBB is being used in a variety of ways including:

• Intense Training – bloggers setting aside weekends or weeks to go through multiple tasks at once
• 1 Task a Day – the way we designed it – one day at a time
• 1 Task a Week – bloggers taking their time with the challenge and making the tasks week long tasks
• Monthly Cycle – bloggers using the tasks again and again each month as a monthly routine for their blogging.
• Occasional Inspirational Resource – bloggers dipping into 31DBBB on a more occasional basis – using it on days when they have time or lack inspiration.

The great thing about 31DBBB is that you can do it at your own pace and in your own way.

Who is this Workbook for?

31 Days to Build a Better Blog is for bloggers at different stages of their blogging including:

• those who have just started a blog but who don’t know what to do next
• those who have had a blog for a while but it’s stalled in its growth
• bloggers with bloggers block and lacking inspiration

This workbook is NOT designed for bloggers yet to start a blog (PreBloggers). It doesn’t cover setting up a blog. If that’s you check out the ProBlogger book which covers this aspect of blogging.

By the end of the 31 Days you’ll have:

• written a variety of different types and styles of posts
• learned techniques for coming up with new post ideas
• promoted your blog in a variety of ways
• built relationships with readers
• reached out to and developed working relationships with other bloggers
• developed an editorial calendar for your blog going forward
• discovered ways to be more connected to your niche/topic
• designed a plan for the next month of your blogging

All in all the daily tasks are 31 steps to transform you blog into a valuable online asset.

3 New Year Bonuses

Bonus #1: Free Report: 9 Things to Do to Get Your Blog On Track in The New Year
Bonus #2: Podcast with Leo Babauta from Zen Habits
Bonus #3: Podcast with Neil Patel from QuickSprout

There are less than 2 days to get the bonuses, and the half price discount. This book normally sells for $40, here is your chance to get so much more for so much less at just $19.95. I just picked up my copy and plan on starting reading it tomorrow, but I wanted to pass along the great savings and opportunity to you all! Go check it out now! Click here to view more details

I’m happy to share with you all that last week the folks at Unstrapped.com posted their list of the Top 30 Young Entrepreneur Blogs of 2009 and Dorm Room Biz was on the list!!

Definitely go check out the full post for a list of all the sites and hopefully you will find some new ones to follow. But, also, thank you to you all for continuing to support Dorm Room Biz and help to build the site up to what it is today!

Happy New Year,

Chris

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

Izea sure is filled with a bunch of characters! Whether it was Ted Murphy or someone else who found these crazy turkey hats, well, my hats off to you! I’m way behind in writing about this but still wanted to share some of the craziness with you all!

Back a week or two before Thanksgiving, I saw a tweet from the folks at Izea asking if people would like to receive a Thanksgiving care package. I responded with my address and waited patiently. I knew what was in the box, but still wanted it to show up quickly as I was leaving for Washington state for the holiday and wanted to have the hat for that trip. It would have been hilarious, in my mind, when meeting my wife’s grandparents for the first time, to have the turkey hat on – what a way to celebrate the holiday! But, it didn’t show up by the time I left and I had actually forgotten about the package until I picked it up the following Monday.

All of the sudden, my giddiness of a school boy came back and I was excited to open it up. Inside, well there was simply a flyer wishing a Happy Thanksgiving, the wonderful Turkey hat, and a bottles of Jones soda…and not just normal cola, but a Tofurky and Gravy Jones Soda Yum, not!

Now, there is no way in hell I was going to taste the soda, because I can only imagine how gross it is. Or, it could actually be really good, I have no idea and no desire to know haha. If you got a similar package from Izea, I’d love to hear if you tried to soda and what you thought of it. I mean I do like Turkey and Gravy, but just the thought of those flavors in a liquid form…no thanks. But, the bottle will sit on my shelf and be a funny item to pull out when showing people our house and my office!

Maybe I need to start a Jones Soda collection of unique flavors? BTW, my Wife didn’t find the humor in the turkey hat…

I got an email this afternoon letting me know that the website Guide To Online Schools put together a great list of the Top 200 Education Blogs. Among the other featured sites was Dorm Room Biz! What a great surprise and success! The site and myself have been featured in similar top lists for student entrepreneurs and education blogs but it’s always a great honor to get recognized by another website for the effort and work that we put into keeping Dorm Room Biz alive!

So, I encourage you to head over to Guide To Online Schools site to view the full list. There are some great resources on there for students and future college students! Dorm Room Biz is listed under the Campus Life section at#59.

In my short video review of the book Bootstrapping: Weapons of Mass Reconstruction by Sramana Mitra, I mentioned that she brings up the topic of mental capital. At many points throughout the book, Sramana talks about why entrepreneurs and start-ups should not go looking for venture capital, but instead focus on bootstrapping their business…hence the name of the book.

As a substitute for venture capital, she recommends getting as much mental capital as you can. Mental capital is the idea of utilizing the people around you (friends, family, mentors, and other business people) as your mental investors. It sounds pretty simple though – instead of going after venture capital (real money to surge into your business), bootstrap your business and gather as much mental capital (knowledge from other entrepreneurs, mentors, and business people) as you can. The mental capital that gets invested in your business by other people around you can be so much more beneficial to you and your company that it would worth more than any amount of venture capital.

As a young entrepreneur it’s important to soak up and get as much mental capital as you can. Talk with everyone around you, and more importantly, listen to everyone. Ask questions, discuss your business, get feedback, and then use it! If you’re a student entrepreneur, you even have another huge advantage over other young (recently out of college) entrepreneurs – you have so many more resources on campus: Your professors, library, resource centers, etc. Utilize them all, now.

Don’t let peoples suggestions just glaze over your head or in one ear and out the other. Be thankful for the time that people spend in giving you feedback, ideas, considerations, and sharing their contacts with you.

Now, go out there and get as much mental capital as you can and you will crush it.

I’m so sorry I didn’t post this earlier but I am just getting to it and now there is REALLY limited time! Check this out everyone! If you haven’t already tried out David Risley’s 3DayMoney video training course and you want to learn how you can make money online and through your website, then you need to take advantage of this offer.

Like I said, the offer is ending soon, so there is only until September 8th at 2 PM EST to get the half off price of $49 versus the regular $97. It’s a one time deal – one payment, no recurring memberships or anything like that.

In Only 3 Days, You Can Have the Internet Strategy Which It Took David 11 Years To Figure Out! The Same Strategy That Made Me $141,011.55 last year while Being My Own Boss, Working From Home, And Wearing Shorts and a T-Shirt All Day.

By signing up and trying out this course, you get the following:

• 14 Multimedia video presentations where I personally guide you through
• A total of over 2.5 hours of video content!
• A full transcript of the presentations for your reference, any time, anywhere. 92 pages total!
• MP3 audio of all presentations for listening on the go
• Full, step-by-step checklist to guide you through the material and ensure your full understanding

Plus, since there is limited time to act, to make it more attractive, David is throwing in even more freebies!

1. Blogging Formula Using Wordpress – a 12 VIDEO course which takes you  from blogging basics through installing Wordpress, customizing your theme, adding plug-in’s, promoting your blog and getting  traffic.
2. Quick Start Guide To Online Profits – With so many others already earning money and touting the praises of their methods, where exactly do you begin? This report will give you a great head start into the world of Internet business .

It has been months since the last promotion David ran for 3DayMoney so there’s no telling when the next time this offer will come around again!

Elearning the newest thing to hit the streets!

What’s your dream job? Or perhaps dream career? I have a lot. One of them is to own and operate and outfitter, guide company, and restaurant all in one. This means that the business would be a river, hiking, and rock climbing guide service, a camping and outdoor gear store/outfitter, and also have a little “hole in the wall” type of restaurant. That’s a lot in one right?

What’s yours? Go ahead, think about it…I’ll wait.

….

….

So, now that you’ve thought about your dream job, lets get onto the next level. How can you prepare yourself for landing your dream job or situation like I described above? Personal and professional developmen of course! But how are you going to do that while you’re so busy working on all the other aspects of your life and building your life/career/job/situation/etc?

A new resource out there is a website called Learn.com. They have recently annouced the launch of their personal edition which allows you to take different skill tests and developed a ’skill score’. If you’re looking for your dream job, then your skill score also helps connect you with potential employers whose criteria your score fits. Sounds pretty snazy huh? I definitely think it’s worth checking out if you’re looking to do a little personal development. Every bit helps and you can never have too much education!

So, back to my dream situation for a section. Looking through the courses available, I’d consider some of the following:

• Personal/Development – Finance
• Business – Leadership, Customer Service, Operations Management, Marketing
• Compliance – Human Resources

Then, I’d take a look at some of the skill tests that other members have put up on the website that relate more closely to my industry of choice. I’d be focusing on the Sports and Recreation category, the Leisure category, and Travel category.

But what if you can’t find a skill test that you are looking for? Well, if you know enough about an area that is lacking on the website, you can create your own test, put it on the Learn.com website and then make money off of it! The pricing for the courses are very reasonable as well – access plans start at just $3.99 a month!

So, if you’re wanting to land your dream job and develop yourself into the person to fill that position, then checking out Learn.com’s Personal Edition is probably worth it to you. Even if you just sign up and run through some of the free courses, it can be very helpful information!

The final school bell has rung, the sun is shining and temperatures are rising, which all add up to just one thing: summer vacation. This summer, keep the environment in mind when making summer travel plans. It is possible to have a memorable beach vacation without harming the planet. Jodi Helmer, author of The Green Year, offers the following tips for greening your summer vacation:

* Reserve a room at a “green” hotel: The Green Hotels Association (www.greenhotels.com) has a list of hotels in every state that have implemented programs to conserve resources and reduce waste. During check-in, request that sheets and towels be changed only if they’re left on the floor and leave a note for the housekeeping staff asking that the air conditioning be turned off when you’re not in the room.

* Planes, trains or automobiles? Make the right choice: Carpooling in a fuel-efficient vehicle has the least impact on the environment (ask car rental companies about hybrid vehicles). On longer trips, consider taking the train instead of flying. A transcontinental flight generates 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions; train travel creates between 4 and 15 percent of the CO2 emissions (depending on the length of the trip). Bonus: You can avoid long lines at the airport and get a glimpse of parts of the country you could never see from the air.

* Pack light: Excess weight in the trunk of the car (or in the cargo hold on the plane) will decrease your gas mileage. In the car, every 100 pounds of cargo decreases fuel efficiency by 2 percent. It might not sound like much but it adds up on a round-trip to the beach, so only pack the essentials.

* Slather on biodegradable sunscreen: Sunscreen is essential for summer vacation but the same ingredients that help protect against UV exposure might be harming marine life. Scientists have found a link between dying coral reefs and the estimated 6,000 tons of sunscreen that wash off of swimmers every year. Biodegradable sunscreens are made with ingredients that break down in seawater and won’t harm marine life.

The Green Year (December 2008, $14.95, ISBN: 9781592578290, Alpha Books), provides 365 simple and inexpensive eco-friendly ideas for each day of the year. Organized by date, the green living tips suggest small changes and environmentally friendly ideas that make a big green impact. The Green Year is more than a calendar.  It offers practical, affordable and engaging activities that help make going green a blessing rather than a burden.

About the Author
Jodi Helmer is a freelance writer who specializes in writing about eco-friendly topics. Her work has appeared in Plenty, Yoga Journal, Women’s Health, Natural Solutions, Backpacker, Woman’s Day, Family Circle and American Way. She is the co-author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Green Careers and a professional speaker who offers workshops on green issues. Helmer also maintains a website, www.green-year.com. She lives in Charlotte, NC.

Now, I’m definitely not one to buy a lot of information products or courses, however, I do believe there is a need to invest in your education and your business. The problem when you decide you want to do this is that many of the courses, seminars, conferences, events, and products cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to get, go to, or attend.

This is your chance to get a great product at an even better price. 3DayMoney is a site created by David Risley of DavidRisley.com and PCMech.com. He’s a ProBlogger bringing in thousands and thousands of dollars a month from the internet and his websites. Over the last 11 years he’s spent every day perfecting his approach to making money from the internet. Now, he’s packed it into 2.5 hours of video content for you to go through and learn from.

The course is designed to be done over three days (hence the name) but you can obviously work it at any pace you’d like. Now, like I said, I don’t like to spend a ton of money on these kinds of courses. Yet, David’s course is normally priced at $97 which is totally worth the investment.

HOWEVER! He’s out of town until Tuesday and decided to run a special until he returns at 9 AM Eastern Time. From now until Tuesday April 28th at 9 AM, you can get the 3DayMoney course for ONLY $47.

I couldn’t pass it up. I signed up and have started the videos. David has some great tips and information about finding untapped markets that you can promote affiliate offers for, how to create your own products, and building lists that you can market to. Plus there is a ton of extra bonus content and downloads for you to check out to help you grow your business.

If you’ve been looking for some help with growing your business and finding ways to make money from the internet, then this is a course I’d highly recommend you take a look out. Remember – the half price deal only lasts a couple more days, so get at it now.

3DayMoney is a course I’ll be promoting for a while even after the price goes back up, but now is your chance to get it at a great rate. If you hesitate to spend $47 to invest in your business and future, you might as well stop trying to grow your business and go work for someone else. This is worth it.

Part of my effort to make money online and break out of the cubicle culture is affiliate marketing. Through affiliate marketing there are lots of average people out there earning a shit load of money. So, my goal is to make $100 a week from affiliate marketing, and then bump that up to $100 a day, over time of course. Now, I’m definitely a green horn when it comes to affiliate marketing.

So anyway, I’ve been signed up with Market Leverage for a while now and haven’t done much with them until now. I’ve started talking more with my affiliate manager (AM) and getting some more information to read up on and find out good approaches to make money.

While I was in Orlando, FL I had the chance to do more networking then I have at home. Market Leverage is located outside of Orlando and one day while I was there, my AM called me up and I told her I was in Orlando and to my surprise she told me that that is where ML is headquartered. So, that of course led to being invited to meet in person and check out the office. So, one Thursday I went over (about 10 minutes from where I was working) for lunch and to meet some of the crew.

Let me tell you, they’ve got a pretty sweet set up. Very nice and open offices, a non-traditional “cubiclesque” set up, great people, and on top of that, a catered lunch EVERY DAY! I know, I didn’t believe it either. And I’m not talking about just pizza…a real cooked meal.

Most of the crew at ML is young (mid 20’s to early 30’s in age) and as you would expect that leads to a HUGE range of topics during the daily lunch in the conference room. As people started to sit down to eat, I very quickly got a warning of the vulgarity and randomness to come, but I was expecting nothing less anyway.

The group at Market Leverage is incredibly nice and extremely willing to help those new to affiliate marketing and newbies like myself start earning some money through their offers. So if you are not already signed up with them, I strongly recommend you do so. It’s worth it! You’ll get an AM to keep in touch with, bounce ideas off of, and get tips on which campaigns are converting well.

Plus, maybe you can score yourself an “I’m Blogging This” t-shirt like I’m sporting in the above picture.